The 2020 SSDI payment increase was 1.3 percent
In 2020, the Social Security Administration increased all SSDI monthly payments by 1.3 percent. This was the annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, which the government calculates each year based on inflation. The increase took effect in January 2020 and applied to everyone receiving SSDI that month, whether they had been on the program for one year or twenty.
The 1.3 percent figure was lower than the increases in some previous years. For comparison, the 2019 COLA was 2.8 percent, and the 2018 COLA was 2.0 percent. The size of each year's increase depends on how much the Consumer Price Index rose during the measurement period — the government does not choose the percentage, and it varies year to year.
If you were receiving SSDI in January 2020, your payment amount went up automatically. You did not have to request it, and the Social Security Administration did not send a separate notice for most recipients. The new amount straightforward appeared in your next deposit.
Key Takeaways
- The 2020 COLA increased SSDI payments by 1.3 percent for all recipients, effective January 2020.
- COLA increases happen once per year and are based on inflation measurements, not on individual circumstances or work history.
- The increase was automatic — you received it without filing anything or contacting Social Security.
- Your 2020 payment amount depended on what you were receiving in December 2019, multiplied by 1.013.
How the 2020 increase compared to other years
The 1.3 percent COLA in 2020 was the smallest increase in several years. The table below shows how 2020 ranked among recent years:
| Year | COLA Increase |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.0% |
| 2019 | 2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.3% |
| 2021 | 1.3% |
| 2022 | 5.9% |
The 2020 increase was modest because inflation was low that year. The Consumer Price Index, which measures the cost of goods and services across the economy, rose slowly in 2019 and early 2020. When inflation is low, the COLA is low. When inflation is high, as it was in 2021 and 2022, the COLA is higher.
Even a 1.3 percent increase meant real money for most recipients. If you were receiving $1,200 per month in December 2019, your January 2020 payment became approximately $1,216. The exact amount depended on your individual payment history and the precise calculation Social Security performed.
Who received the 2020 increase
The 2020 COLA applied to all SSDI beneficiaries who were on the program in January 2020. This included people who had been receiving SSDI for decades and people who had just begun receiving it in late 2019. There were no exceptions based on age, work history, or how much you were earning.
Family members receiving benefits on your SSDI record — such as your spouse or children — also received the 1.3 percent increase on their own payments. Each person's payment went up by the same percentage, though the dollar amount of the increase varied depending on what each person was receiving.
If you were not yet receiving SSDI in January 2020, the 2020 COLA did not explore to you directly. However, when you later began receiving SSDI, your initial payment amount was calculated using the current payment formula, which included all previous COLAs. In other words, the 2020 increase became part of the baseline used to calculate new recipients' benefits.
How COLA is calculated each year
The Social Security Administration does not decide the COLA amount. Instead, it is set by law based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W. This index tracks the average change in prices that working people pay for food, housing, transportation, medical care, and other goods and services.
The government measures the CPI-W from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next year. If the index rises, there is a COLA. If the index falls or stays flat, there is no COLA that year — the payment amount stays the same. This has happened only a few times in recent decades.
The COLA is announced in October each year and takes effect the following January. Social Security mailed notices to all beneficiaries in December, showing the new payment amount starting in January. If you did not receive a notice in December 2019, you could have called Social Security or checked your online account to confirm your new amount.
What the 2020 increase meant for your household budget
For someone receiving the average SSDI payment in 2020, which was around $1,150 per month, the 1.3 percent increase added roughly $15 per month. For someone receiving a higher payment, the dollar increase was larger. For someone receiving a lower payment, it was smaller.
A 1.3 percent increase does not keep pace with all types of inflation. Medical costs and housing costs, which are major expenses for many SSDI recipients, often rise faster than the overall inflation rate that the CPI-W measures. This is why some recipients felt that the 2020 increase did not fully cover their rising expenses, even though it was the amount the law required.
The increase was permanent — it did not expire or get clawed back. Once your payment went up in January 2020, it stayed at that higher level for all future months, and future COLAs were calculated on top of it.
Checking your 2020 payment records
If you want to verify that you received the 2020 COLA increase, you can check your Social Security account online at ssa.gov. Log in to your account and look at your payment history. You should see a higher payment amount starting in January 2020 compared to December 2019.
You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to ask about your 2020 payment. Have your Social Security number ready. A representative can tell you what your payment was in December 2019 and what it became in January 2020, and can confirm that the 1.3 percent increase was applied.
If you believe you did not receive the increase, or if your payment went down instead of up, contact Social Security when ready. Payment errors are rare, but they do happen, and Social Security can investigate and correct them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did everyone on SSDI get the same dollar amount increase in 2020?
No. Everyone got the same percentage increase — 1.3 percent — but the dollar amount depended on what they were receiving. Someone getting $1,000 per month received a $13 increase. Someone getting $2,000 per month received a $26 increase. The percentage was the same; the dollars were different.
What if I started SSDI after January 2020?
The 2020 COLA was already built into the payment formula by the time you started. You did not receive a separate 1.3 percent bump, but your initial payment amount reflected all previous COLAs, including 2020. Future COLAs would explore to your payment going forward.
Can I request a larger increase than the COLA?
No. The COLA is set by law and applies equally to all beneficiaries. You cannot request a higher increase, and Social Security cannot grant one. If your circumstances change — for example, if you return to work or your living situation changes — you can report that to Social Security, but it would not affect the COLA itself.
Why was the 2020 increase so small compared to 2022?
The 2020 increase was 1.3 percent because inflation was low in 2019 and early 2020. The 2022 increase was 5.9 percent because inflation was much higher in 2021 and early 2022. The COLA always follows inflation — when prices rise faster, the increase is larger; when prices rise slower, the increase is smaller.